The Truth About Chris
by kay1017us
Summary: She thought that she had the perfect love and the perfect marriage until one tragic day.
1. Chapter 1

This is the fourth story in a series of stories that will use the same characters. I plan to change some of the characters and where they live. However, the core of the characters will stay the same.

Christien (Chris) Smith – 60 year old, movie producer/writer, husband of Bella, father of Zak, Birthplace: Sydney Australia, Home: London, England

Isabella (Bella, Izzy) Smith – 40 year old, actress/writer, wife of Chris, mother of Zak, Birthplace: Buffalo, New York, Home: London, England

Zakery (Zak) Smith – their 10 year old son

Jean – Isabella's sister

Bill – Christien's younger brother

Suzy – Johnny's wife, former friend Bella's, friend of Chris

Johnny – Suzy's husband, former friend of Chris, friend of Bella

Annie – Suzy and Johnny's daughter

_Background Information_

Chris is a hugely successful movie producer. Neither he nor Isabella has ever been to college. They both came from poor backgrounds. Both sets of parents are dead. They live in Paris, France to escape the media attention of the US. Chris tries to avoid the spotlight. They're not a typical Hollywood couple – both are well-grounded, avoid alcohol and drugs, and are very down-to-earth. Isabella's career took off after she and Chris worked on their first movie together.

Disclaimer - Any relationship to actual people and events is purely coincidental.

Chapter 1

London, England - Present Day - Judge's Office

"Mrs. Smith, thank-you for arriving before the divorce proceedings", the judge tells her. Isabella enters the judge's private chambers.

"You're welcome, what is this about?" Isabella asks.

"Before Chris told you that he wanted a divorce, did he act strange?", the judge asks her.

"No. It just came out of nowhere. Before he said that, I thought that we had the perfect marriage. In a million years, I would never think that he'd cheat on me. The fact that he did it with a friend, it just blew me away", Isabella says. The judge can tell that Isabella is still hurt by this whole mess.

"I've talked to Chris's first wife, Jackie. As you know, she's known Chris since they were four years old. She doesn't understand Chris's behavior, either. She told me that he never cheated on her during their marriage. Uma told me the same thing. Both are as stunned as you are towards Chris's recent behavior", the judge says.

"I've talked to Chris's family and Chris's work associated about Chris's recent behavior. It doesn't make sense to them, either. Therefore, I believe that something is wrong with Chris", the judge tells Isabella.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" Isabella asks concerned.

"I have a few theories. Something is either mentally wrong with him or something is medically wrong with him", the judge says.

"If there is something medically wrong with Chris, he may not tell me. He would do his best to protect both Zak and me. I could see him putting on this whole thing to save me the pain from watching him die. In fact, my sister suggested that to me ", Isabella says.

"I know about the loss of your parents and some things about your personal life. Have you talked to Chris recently?" the judge says.

"He hasn't talked to me since the day he told me he wanted out of the marriage. He only talks to me through his lawyers. So, what are you going to do?" Isabella asks.

"Since a small child is involved and this whole thing doesn't make sense, I'm going to order a complete medical and psychiatric evaluation of both you and Chris", the judge says.

"That's fine with me", Isabella says. She's been shocked by this discussion and Isabella starts to think about the possibilities that the judge mentioned.

London Court - Later that day - Isabella and Chris's divorce proceedings

Both Chris and Isabella are in court with their lawyers. Suzy is with Chris. Johnny is with Isabella.

"Before I give you a ruling on if your divorce will be settled today, I want to read you this letter that I have received from your son.

_Dear Judge,_

I know my mom and dad are going through a lot of pain. I see and live with their pain each day. I know my mom and dad still love each other - I can still feel their love for each other. They may not say it or show it to each other, but I know that they do. If you make them talk to each other, I believe that they will work through this mess and get back together. My dad told me once that love conquerors all, so now is his chance to prove this.

Thank-you,

Zak

P.S. I have enclosed the location of a couple's therapy institute. Please send my mom and dad to it. They have a success rate of 96%.

As the judge read the letter, Isabella was crying. Chris didn't show any emotion at all.

"Well, Mr. Smith, what do you have to say for yourself?", the judge asks Chris.

"That is a typical little boy that wants his parents back together. It's very unfortunate that this has happened to his mom and me. However, it's irreconcible", Chris says coldly.

"Mr. Smith, I've been a judge at many trials and hearings. I know when someone is lying to me. Therefore, Mrs. Smith your petition for a divorce has been denied. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, please join in my chambers. Now!" the judge tells them.

Both Isabella and Chris go to the judge's chambers and have a seat. Their lawyers are not with them.

"In order for me to consider your wife's petition for divorce, both of you are going to go through a complete medical and psychiatric evaluation and it must be done within seven days. Once I receive those results, you're going to attend the institute that your son has found and this has to be done within four weeks. If you still want to divorce, then I'll grant it. Are there any questions?" the judge asks them.

"Why are you doing this to us?" Chris asks.

"You two still love each other. Any fool with eyes can see that! The real question here, is why are you doing this to your wife?" the judge asks Chris.

"I'm going to talk to my lawyer and protest this craziness! I want out of this marriage and I want out of it now!" Chris says.

"If you refuse my orders, I'll put you in jail! The two of you need to talk, so I'll leave you alone for a few minutes", the judge tells Chris.

"Is there something medically wrong with you?" Isabella asks Chris. Chris can see the wheels turning in Isabella's mind and that she's starting to wonder about what's going on. He knows that he's running out of time.

"No", Chris goes to the judge's desk and grabs his phone. He dials a number.

"I need that package tonight. Okay. I'll meet you there", Chris says. Chris dials another number.

"Plans have changed. It will happen this week. Be ready", Chris says as he hangs up the phone.

"What was that all about?" Isabella asks. Chris looks her in the eye for the first time since May. She can see the hurt, pain, and the raw fear in his eyes. However, she can still see the love for her in his eyes.

"None of your business", Chris says as he walks away from her.


	2. Chapter 2

Streets of London, England- Later that Night

After that weird day in the courtroom, Isabella had decided to stake out Chris's house and find out what was going on. Since her talk with the judge, she was wondering if Chris had faked this whole thing.

Chris leaves the house in his car and she follows him. They go to a bad neighborhood of London. Chris gets out of his car and she follows behind him.

"Damn! It's you! What are you doing? I could have killed you!" Chris says as he grabs Isabella by the neck and pins her against the wall.

"Following you. I want to know what's going on!" Isabella says. She can tell that Chris's furious with her and himself. He's worried about her safety and it has made him careless.

"Damn! They're coming and I can't leave you alone on this street. Come with me. We're getting in the car. If my knee hits yours twice, jump and roll out of the car", Chris says as he drags her towards the limo.

The limo door opens. Chris and Isabella get inside.

Chris speaks German so that Isabella won't understand what is being said.

"Chris, you brought your beautiful wife. Please, let's speak English. It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Smith. I'm one of your husband's cousins on his mother's side", the blonde man says as he reaches out his hand and he and Isabella shake hands.

"Let's get down to business. Here's the money. I need the names of those people and I need it before the week is out", Chris says as he hands the man the bag.

"I know all of the $10 million is here, Chris. Why is this important to you? Why doesn't the agency take care of it?" the man asks Chris.

"There has been a threat to my family. Please take the money. I need to get back", Chris says.

"Since your family has been threatened, it's free. Also, I'll have my men watch over you and yours. Good luck, cousin", the man says as he takes Chris's hand.

"Hans, thank-you", Chris says as they get out of the limo.

"What just happened? If you tell me none of my business, I'm going to scream!" Isabella says.

"Just get back in your car and leave. Don't mention this to anyone, your life depends on it", Chris says as he walks her to her car. He couldn't explain the situation to her. Only he and a few others knew that this situation was tearing him apart. At this point, what his beautiful wife didn't know wouldn't hurt her, but it was sure destroying him.

Isabella's House – One Week Later

Isabella was walking to her house when someone came up from behind her and grabbed her.

Chris's House – Same Night

Isabella slowly began to wake up. Her head and neck hurt like hell.

"Izzy, are you alright?" Chris asks her.

"Yes, what's going on?" Isabella says. She is now fully awake. She notices that Chris is chained to a wall – he's hanging from his arms. He's also filthy and has been severely beaten – there's blood and filth running down his body.

"Don't worry. It'll be alright. I've got a plan", Chris says as he winks at her. At that moment Suzy comes in.

"Well, well, look at the family reunion. Chris, you didn't really think that you could fool me, did you?" Suzy asks as she closes the door and comes in the room holding a syringe.

"I wonder what is stronger? The love for your wife or the love for this opium?" Isabella asks Chris. He can feel the beast pulling at his stomach. All he can think about is how he needs the drug. Chris hasn't had the drug for three days and he's been going slowly insane without it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Part of the Truth

Chris's House – Later That Night

"Well, isn't this the touching family reunion" Suzy says as she walks over to Isabella.

"What's going on here?" Isabella asks.

"It's truly a shame that Zak and the judge interfered in my plans for your husband. I had so planned on torturing him more, but now I'm afraid that the torture will have to end tonight", Suzy says.

"What do you mean?" Isabella says as she gets up from the basement floor.

"It's such a shame. I did really like your friendship, but my desire to destroy your husband was stronger than my desire for your friendship", Suzy says as she walks over to Chris. She lowers him down and releases him from the chains.

"Now, my pet. It's your choice – you can either have the opium or you can have your wife", Suzy taunts Chris. Unfortunately, Suzy had personally made the opium for him. It was stronger and more addictive than regular opium. Just looking at it was making the beast in him desire it.

"What do you mean?" Chris asks. He is in so much pain that he can barely stand. His long blonde hair is greasy and there is blood running down his back due to the whippings that he has received.

"Kill your wife and you can have the opium. If you don't choose to kill your wife, I'll kill her and then I'll kill you", Suzy says. Chris looks at Isabella and he can tell she's very frightened and confused.

Chris begins to walk towards Isabella.

"Which do you love more? Your wife or your drug?" Suzy asks as she taunts him with the bottle of opium.

"How do you expect me to kill her?" Chris asks.

"With your bare hands. I'm not stupid enough to give you a weapon, my pet. You'd be surprised what a man will do when he's under the control of opium. Of course, there was my threat of killing you, but in the end I think the opium was stronger than his love for you", Suzy says to Isabella.

Chris approaches Isabella from behind and puts his arms around her neck.

"I can't believe that you'd kill me for a drug!" Isabella says as she fights with Chris. Chris throws her down to the ground and away from Suzy. Chris leaps on Suzy and grabs her from behind. He has his hands on her throat.

"Suzy, you didn't really think that I'd choose your drug over my wife, did you?" Chris asks Suzy.

"You're both dead. Zak will be killed, too. You'll never get away with it", Suzy says.

"You don't think that I'm that stupid? You should have learned a long time ago not to play games with the master. Your whole organization is about to fall flat on its face," Chris tells her.

Isabella has gotten up and is watching the scene unfold in front of her.

"By the way, your mother was much better in bed than you ever were", Chris whispers into her hear. Suzy is shocked.

"How do you think I was able to get into your father's secret room? As much as I would enjoy prolonging your death, it's time to end it" Chris says as he dispatches Suzy to hell. Chris grabs the opium and gives himself a dose. The dose feels like ecstasy.

"Come with me. Let's get out of here", Chris says as he reaches for Isabella.

"What about Zak? Is he safe?" Isabella asks him.

"My friend Damian is with him upstairs", Chris says as he leads her out of the basement. He instructs her to stay behind him. He knows that Suzy's two goons are in the living room of the house.

Chris has Isabella stay at the entrance to the basement as he approaches Suzy's henchmen. Chris easily dispatches them with some martial arts moves. Isabella is watching him in bewilderment. She never imagined that her 60 year old husband was capable of such moves. Especially in his weakened condition.

Chris goes upstairs to check on Zak and Damian – they are both fine and Zak is still sleeping. Chris instructs Damian to stay with Zak and protect him. Chris comes back down to join Isabella in the living room. Chris searches for his cell phone and makes a call.

"It's over. Come and clean-up the mess", Chris says.

"What's going on here?" Isabella asks Chris as men come in the front door.

"Get Mr. Smith in chains. Now!"A man dressed in black says. They put Chris in chains. The other men go down to the basement and begin to clean and dispose of the evidence.

"Jack, can I have a few minutes of privacy with my wife before we leave?" Chris asks the man in charge.

"No privacy. Say what you need to say to her now" the man says to Chris.

"I'm sorry, Izzy. This is all my fault. I failed you and our love for each other. I couldn't find a better way to protect you. I did what I had to do to save you. I did commit adultery with Suzy, but there was no other way to save you. I hope that someday you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. I never stopped loving you. I hope that you find a man that deserves your love and I want you to be happy. I am so sorry", Chris says as he hangs his head down.

"I owe you another apology. I'm sorry that I won't' be here to heal the heart that I have broken. I'm sorry that I won't be able to make it up to you", Chris says.

"Where are you going?" Isabella asks.

"I'm going to my death. I deserve to die for what I've done", Chris says.

"What have you done?" Isabella asks. She is in total shock.

"I choose my love for you over the love of my country. I committed treason to protect you and now I must pay for it. I don't regret the choice that I made – I'd do it again", Chris says.

"Come on, Smith. I can't wait to put you down like a dirty dog", Jack says as he and Chris begin to leave the house.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Life or Death?

Chris's House – Same Night

As Chris and Jack are leaving the house, another man comes in the door.

"Jack, don't you realize that if Chris wanted to escape from us, those chains wouldn't stop him?" the man says. This man is about Chris's age and is in a position of authority.

"Sir, he's dangerous and I want to make sure that he doesn't try anything cute", Jack says as he tightens the chains on Chris. Jack knows that Chris and Jim are old friends and that Jim respects Chris more than him.

"Can we just get on with it?" Chris says.

"Jack, get him out of the chains and take him to our hospital", the man says.

"What? You want to give this traitor medical attention?" a very angry Jack asks.

"Yes", Jim says.

"Why delay it? Just execute me and get it over with" Chris says. He just wants the pain and misery to stop.

"I never said anything about executing you. After you get fixed up, we're going to have a little talk", Jim says as he pats Chris on the back. Isabella is watching this exchange with curiosity.

"Mrs. Smith, if you'd like to come to the hospital with us, I'll have one of our agents watch your son", Isabella feels that she's been ordered to come with them. She joins the men as they get in a black vehicle and head to the secret hospital.

Secret Hospital – Same Night 

Chris is being attended to by the nurses and doctors. Jim and Isabella are observing from the observation room.

"Will he be alright?" Isabella asks Jim.

"Do you give a damn?" Jim asks Isabella.

"He's the father of my child. Of course I care if he lives or dies", Isabella says.

"That wasn't the answer that I was looking for. I guess you weren't the type of woman that I thought that you were", Jim says.

"What does that mean?" Isabella asks. She gets the feeling that Jim doesn't like or respect her.

"I thought that Chris would fall head over heals for a woman that would stand by her man through thick and through thin. You're not it. You're just another one of those Hollywood types – you used Chris to get a successful career and you've tied him to you with a child. You've made sure that you'll get part of his substantial fortune. After what Chris has seen in this world, I thought he'd realize that beauty is only skin deep. Obviously, he forgot that when he took a look at your extremely beautiful face", Jim says.

"Wait a minute! He cheated on me! He broke my heart. He put me through hell. I've been humiliated in the press!"

"You really need to get over yourself! That man lying on that hospital bed put his soul and life on the line for you! Do you think that Suzy just used him as a sex toy? She tortured him and he let her! He could have killed her at any time, but he couldn't because she threatened to have someone in her vast organization kill you!" Jim yells at her.

"You have no idea what it's cost him to save you! Physically, he'll be fine. Mentally, it's another story. Suzy used his love for you to break him. Her goal was to destroy him and I think that she may have done it. Of course, you don't give a damn – you've got your fame and your money!" Jim says.

"By the way, if you tell anyone about what happened tonight, you'll be terminated. Trust me, I'll enjoy it, but you won't. There's no reason for you to be here. Jack, escort this woman out of here!" Jim says as he walks away from her.

Chris's House – Two Nights Later

Since Chris had been in the hospital, Isabella had taken Zak home with her. Isabella had tried to see Chris in the secret hospital, but they wouldn't let her in. Over the past few days, she had really thought about what Jim had said. She had been hard and unforgiving to Chris – maybe she had been too hard on him. She was on her way over to Chris's house to find out if he was out of the hospital yet.

She walks up to the door and rings the door bell. No one answers. She uses Zak's keys to get into the house. She heads to Chris's study. She finds him with a revolver in one hand and his opium in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Isabella asks as she enters the room.

"Debating. I have three chances left out of six", Chris says.

"You can't do this to yourself!" Isabella says. She's shocked – she's never seen Chris this depressed or weak. She never thought that he'd think about committing suicide.

"Why shouldn't I? I've lost your love. My son doesn't respect me anymore. I'm addicted to opium. An eternity in hell would be better than this life" Chris says.

"Zak loves you and needs you. You can't do this to him", Isabella says.

"You're young and beautiful. You'll find a replacement father for him. He'll forget about me, he'll forget that I ever existed. One day, you'll forget the love that we had and all the good times that we had" Chris says as he picks up the revolver.

"No! No one will ever replace you in Zak's heart. You know that. If you do this, it will destroy him!" Isabella says.

"Would it destroy you? Or would you have fun at my farewell party?" Chris asks her.

"I wouldn't take any joy in your death. I would mourn you" Isabella says.

"Get out! Get out now!" Chris yells at her.

"Only if you promise me that you won't kill yourself", Isabella says to him.

"I promise. Please leave – I can't stand to look at you – it's just too much pain. It's more than I can stand", Chris says as he puts his head down and cries. Isabella leaves.

Chris's House – Next Night

Isabella has made soup and other food for Chris. She decides to stop by and check on him. She rings the door bell. A tall, black man answers the door. The man is a little younger than Chris.

"Hello, Mrs. Smith. I'm Chris's friend Damian. Here, let me take that bowl from you", Damian says as they enter the house.

"Is Chris here?" Isabella asks.

"No, ma'am", Damian says as they head to the kitchen.

"When will he be back?" Isabella asks.

"I don't know if he'll be back", Damian says.

"What? He didn't try to kill himself did he?' Isabella asks as they put the food in the kitchen.

"No. Other people are trying to kill him. It's up to him whether he lives or dies", Damian tells her.

"What does that mean?" Isabella asks as she starts to leave the house.

"I can't tell you. If Chris comes back, I'll tell him that you were here. Good day", Damian says as he closes the door behind Isabella.

Mediterranean Sea – That Night

The cargo shipped had exploded on schedule. Chris had just enough time to jump before the explosion. He was swimming in the rough seas. He came to many realizations as he fought for his life. First, he wanted to live. Second, he was going to beat his addiction to opium. Third, he was going to get his life back and that included the woman that ruled his heart.

Isabella's House – That Night

After that cryptic talk with Damian, Isabella had been worried about Chris. She knew that she shouldn't care about him. She wasn't supposed to love him any more, but they had been so much to each other. Since she had found out that he cheated on her, she had to fight her love for him. She'd had to stop herself from running back to him and begging him to stop his affair with Suzy.

Before Zak had been born, Chris was everything to her. He was her food, sunshine, laughter, and love. She had learned so much from him – he had taught her how to be a better person. He had been her best friend, lover, and the love of her life.

Tonight as she stared out the window and a storm blew around her, she felt as if her life was in the center of a storm. She sensed danger.


	5. Chapter 5 Understand Your Man

Chapter 5 Understand Your Man

Chris's House – The Next Day

Chris had just arrived home from his secret mission. He was tired and exhausted. Damian was up, so they started talking.

"I'm glad to see that you decided to live, old friend", Damian says as they sit and talk in Chris's office.

"This morning I'm not sure that it was the right choice", Chris says. The need for the opium is pulling at his gut. The little dose that Damian had given him this morning wasn't enough to satisfy his hunger.

"The pain will go away with time. Have you decided what to do with the rest of your life?" Damian says.

"Last night, I thought that I had decided. I wanted to get Isabella and Zak back. However, I think it's unfair to them to get them back", Chris says as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"Why? You have another chance. You can repair the damage that you did to Isabella and Zak", Damian advises him.

"It's not fair to them. One of these days I'm not going to come back from a mission. They'll be destroyed by my death. It's not right to do that. I think Isabella is getting over me and moving on with Johnny. I shouldn't do that to her", Chris says.

"You're afraid of her and Zak rejecting you. You need to try to get them back or you'll never forgive yourself for not trying. It would be tragic if you let your fear control you" Damian says.

"The real tragedy is that I wasn't smart enough to stop Suzy before I broke Isabella's heart", Chris says as he gets up and heads to his bedroom. Chris goes to his lonely, cold bedroom. Since Suzy had tortured Chris, he had trouble sleeping. Usually, he would wake up screaming with nightmares and Damian would have to wake him up.

While Chris had been gone, the agency had sent another person to help Damian with Chris. The person was an expert in self-defense and martial arts. Josiah was a 7 foot tall man who used both intelligence and brawn. He was there to help Damian prevent Zak form taking too much opium. Their plan was to give Chris opium three times a day. After a month or so, they would reduce the dose. While Chris was taking the opium, Josiah and Damian would work on Chris's mental, spiritual, and physical health. When Chris was strong enough, he would stop taking the opium. When he stopped taking it, he would either live or die. If he lived, it would be a constant struggle to avoid the opium addiction. Also, he would have to fight to prevent another addiction from replacing his need for the opium.

Isabella's House – The Next Day

Zak was still staying with Isabella and he was at school. Isabella was in the midst of writing another movie script. It was hard to do it without Chris's help. She still hadn't heard anything from him and neither had Zak. She was really worried about Chris – he never went twenty-four hours without speaking with Zak.

Isabella hears something in her driveway. She gets up from her couch and goes to her window. She sees a man on a super-fast, super-expensive BMW motorcycle. He is dressed in black leather – from the top to the bottom. She notices that he's heading to her door. She goes to her door and opens the door. The man takes off his helmet to reveal his waving blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"Chris, what are you doing with that thing? Isn't it a little fast for you?" Isabella asks him. He laughs at her.

"No, it's not too fast for me", Chris says. Isabella can tell he's tired.

"How are you feeling?" Isabella asks as they stand at the doorway to her house which used to be their house.

"I'm getting a little stronger each day", Chris says.

"If you're here to see Zak, he's at school", Isabella says. She begins to sense the power and strength that was uniquely Chris's aura.

"I'm not here to see Zak. I'm here to see you", Chris tells. He can tell she's getting uncomfortable. This is the longest conversation that they've had since he told her he wanted a divorce.

"Why do you want to see me? Is it about the divorce?" Isabella asks.

"I'm here to warn you – there's not going to be a divorce" Chris says.

"What?" Isabella asks shocked.

"I'm going to get you back. When I get you back, I'll repair all the damage that I've done to your heart. I'll make you happier than I've ever made you before", Chris says.

"I don't want a reconciliation. I'm moving on with my life" Isabella tells him. She has just started to move on and she doesn't want to fall back in love with the man that almost destroyed her.

"No, you're not. You're going to be back with me. You, Zak, and I are going to be the family that we were destined to be. I won't let anyone or anything stop me, not even you" Chris says.

Isabella doesn't want to take a risk with Chris. So she says the one thing that will stop his ideas of a reconciliation.

"I've slept with other men", she says. He laughs.

"Do you think that I don't know? Suzy made sure that I had full color and sound", Chris says as Isabella blushes.

"It tore me up that the men that you slept with had blonde hair and blue eyes. You wanted me in their place. You can have the real thing now. No other man could satisfy you like I did and I have the video to prove it. No other woman could ever satisfy me like you", Chris says as he violently grabs her into a passionate kiss.

At first, Isabella fights him and pushes against his chest. At the first touch of their lips, Isabella can feel that old electric shock wave that used to go through her whenever Chris touched her. She feels shame, guilt, and a little pleasure. When Chris breaks the contact, she slaps him.

"How dare you!" Isabella says.

"Oh, I dare alright. Tell me, that tremble that I felt, was it from the cold or from desire?" Chris asks her.

"You bastard, leave! Just leave!" Isabella says as she turns away from him.

"Would you like to go on a ride with me on the BMW? They say once a woman does it on a motorcycle she'll never forget it or maybe it was a horse? Do you remember, my love?" Chris asks her as she slams the door in his laughing face!

Unbeknown to Isabella, she had just confirmed to Chris that she still loved him. She wouldn't have gotten so angry so fast if somewhere deep inside her heart she didn't still love him. Chris knew that his wife was going to give him a merry chase, but the hunter in him loved the thought of the chase. Since performing the secret mission, the hunter in Chris had been reawakened and he looked forward to the hunt.

Meanwhile, Isabella was in her house. She couldn't believe the nerve of that man! He had destroyed her life and now he wanted back into it. He thought that he would open his arms to her and she would magically fall into his arms. He was in for a shock – she didn't want anything to do with him. She didn't understand him at all. She was sure that her sleeping with other men would have killed his love/desire for her, but it had backfired.

One Week Later – Isabella's House

Over the next week, Chris had sent little gifts to Isabella. The gifts were reminders of the time that they had spent together – their first meeting, his proposal, the first time they made love, Zak's conception, Zak's birth, etc… Chris was making Isabella remember all of their good times together. He was courting his wife. Due to Chris's condition, the judge had delayed some of the medical tests and the counseling session for Chris and Isabella.

Isabella had just received another gift from Chris. So far, she had returned all his gifts. If he showed up at her house, she didn't answer the door to him. She only talked to him through her lawyer. Zak was going to stay with her until Chris got stronger.

"Damn that man!" Isabella says as she opens the gift. Unfortunately, Zak was standing there and heard her curse his father.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie", Isabella says.

"No, it's okay. I know that you're mad at him and that you have every right to be mad at him", Zak says.

"How much do you know?" Isabella asks.

"Dad said that he was forced to do some things he didn't want to do. He wasn't smart enough to find a solution that wouldn't hurt you. He said that he's sorry that he hurt you and that he wants to make amends. Dad and I have repaired our relationship", Zak tells her.

"Well, I'm happy that you and your dad are getting along again", Isabella says as she gets ready to send the gift back to Chris. When Chris had asked for the divorce, Zak had been extremely upset and angry with him.

"Mom, if you keep slamming the door in Dad's face, one of these days he's not going to come back. Then, you'll be mad and hurt that he gave up on you. You should give him another chance", Zak says

"It's easy for you to say. He didn't break your heart", Isabella says. Zak and Chris have a special bond.

"You're wrong. He did break my heart. I hurt as bad as the two of you do. I see that you're still in pain. So why don't you give him a chance to make it up to you? Isn't our family worth one more chance?" Zak asks her.

"Zak, we're not going to talk about this now", Isabella says as she walks away from him.


	6. Chapter 6 Taken!

Chapter 6 Taken!

Isabella's House – One Week Later

Since Chris had kissed Isabella a week ago, she hadn't seen him or spoken to him. If he wanted to see Zak, she made sure that she avoided seeing Chris. She hadn't seen Johnny much in the last week – he had attended to Suzy's funeral. Suzy's family thought that she had been killed in a car accident. After the funeral, he had been busy dealing with business issues out of the country. Isabella had almost completed a movie script and she was calling the head of her studio, Paul Lewis.

"Paul, I'm almost done with the script. I'll email it to you later today." Isabella says to Paul.

"Is Chris going to produce the movie?" Paul asks her.

"No", Isabella says.

"If Chris doesn't produce the movie, then we're not going to finance it", Paul says.

"What? I'm under contract with you! You can't do that to me!" Isabella says.

"I'm sorry, but we can. We want Chris to produce the movie", Paul says.

"I thought you were my friend? I can sell tickets to the movie without the legendary Chris Smith!" Isabella says.

"I am your friend. I am sorry about what happened between you and Chris. I never thought that you two would break up. Maybe you can work it out with him?" Paul asks her.

"No. I'll break my contract with you and I'll go to another studio", Isabella informs him. She's getting madder and madder.

"If you do that, it will cost you millions of dollars", Paul says.

"I don't care! I'm never working with Chris again!" Isabella says.

"I'm sorry, but it's either Chris produces the movie or any future movie that you make or there are no more movies", Paul says.

A furious Isabella hangs up on him. She calls her management company and demands that they start talking to other studios about her movie script. A few hours later, they call her back and tell her that no studio will finance her movie without Chris Smith producing it. Isabella paces in her living room and decides to give Chris a visit before she has to pick up Zak at school.

Chris's House 

Chris, Damian, and Josiah had been working out when Isabella rings his doorbell. Chris is happy to see Isabella. He thinks that maybe she's ready to forgive him.

"Chris, have you sabotaged me?" Isabella asks him. A year ago she would never have thought that Chris would be so devious.

"Sabotage you? What are you talking about?" Chris says as they stand in the doorway talking.

"No studio will finance my movie without you as a producer!" Isabella says.

"Let's just say that all the studio heads have a little bit of dirt and they don't want it aired in public", Chris says.

"How can you do this to me? You've already put me through so much hell!" Isabella says to him.

"I told you – I'm going to get you back. Step one is for us to work together and then we'll go from there" Chris says.

"I won't do it! I'll never work with you again!" Isabella says.

"Yes, you will, my dear. You're creative juices will get the best of you and you'll come back to work with me", Chris says.

One Week Later

Chris had been correct. Isabella and he were now working on her new movie script. They were almost done with the script. They were in his studio making the finishing touches on it. In a week, they were due to go on location and start the preliminary filming of the movie. They had already contacted their usual crew and they were ready to work with Chris and Isabella again.

As Chris and Isabella worked together, they were getting closer and closer. Isabella was trying her best to fight her feelings for Chris.

Isabella had just gotten done talking to Johnny.

"Are your dinner plans canceled again tonight?" Chris asks her.

"Yes" Isabella says. She and Johnny hadn't been able to spend much time together since Suzy's funeral.

"It's such a shame that he has to fly to Brazil", Chris tells her.

"How do you know about that?" Isabella asks.

"Step two is to get rid of the competition" Chris says.

"I don't think that I ever really knew you at all. You never would have sabotaged me and then gotten Johnny out of the way", Isabella says.

"Come on, you know that when I want something nothing gets in my way. You see that in Zak. However, my ways of getting what I want are just more sophisticated than Zak's methods", Chris tells her as they continue to finish up the movie script.

Isabella's House – Two Days Later

Isabella and Chris had finished the movie script. Isabella was in the process of arranging Zak's schooling so that he could go on location with them. The last time that Chris and her had made a movie, Zak was just a baby. They had been so close during that movie production. However, they were now thousands of miles apart.

Isabella had received some flowers in the mail and it had a note that requested her presence at a certain address. She hoped that the note was from Johnny and not Chris. She arrived at the address to find out that it was an airplane hanger. She entered the hanger and boarded the plane.

"Mrs. Smith, it's so wonderful for you to join us", the stewardess says as she closes the airplane door behind Isabella.

"Please take a seat and we'll take off", the stewardess says. Isabella notices that the jet is a luxury jet. She can't see anyone else around, so she sits down and the plane takes off.

After the pilot levels the plane off, Chris appears.

"It's you! I should have known it!" Isabella says.

"I hope that you're not disappointed. We need to talk and I don't want you to run off", Chris says as he sits down beside her. When he had tried to talk about their marriage, Isabella had always left the studio.

"What do you want now?" Isabella asks him.

"At the bare minimum, we need to be friends. We need to do this for Zak's sake. We can't keep communicating through lawyers. We need to call each other and talk to each other about him", Chris says. He can tell that Isabella is considering it.

"You're right", Isabella says. Over the last few weeks, she had been able to talk to Chris without the pain of their divorce hitting her.

"What else do you want?" Isabella asks him.

"I want things back the way that they used to be. However, if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't love me anymore, I'll quit trying to get you back", Chris tells her.

"I don't…I can't say it" Isabella says as she starts to tear up. Chris drops to his knees before her and grabs her hands.

"I'll do whatever you want me to do to get you back. I'll do whatever it takes to make this last year up to you. Please just tell me what you need to do and I'll do it", Chris says as he tears up, too. Isabella is shocked to see this proud, strong man on his knees.

"Before you decide if you want me back or not, there are a few things you need to know. First, I'm a man who will do anything to protect you and Zak. If you don't want that kind of man, then I'm not the man for you. Second, it's not going to be a bed of roses – I've got to fight this opium addiction and I need your love and support to do it. Finally, I'll always love you", Chris says.

"I don't know what I need you to do to fix it and I don't know if I want you to fix it. I can't get the thoughts of you and Suzy together out of my mind. There's a part of me that still loves you, but I don't trust you. I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust you again. I need time to make a decision", Isabella says.

"I'll give you all the time that you need. Let's have dinner", Chris says as he gets up from his knees.

Isabella's House – One Week Later

Over the past week, Isabella had thought about Chris's declaration. She was afraid to trust him with her heart again. However, she had invited Chris over for dinner for a couple of times this week. It had really made Zak happy that his parents were talking to each other. There were a few nights that Chris had come over and they had played soccer together. They were beginning to act like a family again.

Currently, Isabella was getting ready to go pick Zak up from school when the phone rang.

"Mrs. Smith, we called to check on Zak. How is he doing?" the school nurse asks her.

"What do you mean?" Isabella asks.

"The school contacted you this morning. Zak was ill and taken to the local hospital", the nurse tells her.

"What? No one contacted me. Did you contact his father?" Isabella asks.

"Of course we did" the nurse gives her the name and phone number of the local hospital. Isabella calls and Zak was never taken there. She calls Chris.

"Did the school contact you and tell you that Zak was taken to a hospital?" Isabella asks him.

"No. What's going on?" Chris asks her.

"I don't know. I called the hospital and Zak isn't there", Chris can hear the worry in her voice.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll find out what's going on", Chris says as he hangs up on her. Chris calls Damian, Josiah, and the agency. After an hour, Chris arrives at Isabella's house.

"Where's Zak?" Isabella asks him as she opens the door to Chris.

"You need to brace yourself. He's been taken", Chris says as he puts his arms around her.

"Taken?" Isabella asks.

"Kidnapped", Chris tells her as she faints on him.


	7. Chapter 7 That Just About Does it

Chapter 7 That Just About Does It, Don't It?

Isabella's House – Same Day

After Isabella had fainted, Chris had laid her down on her sofa. After a few minutes, she awoke to find him connecting something to her phone line.

"What's that?" Isabella asks as she gets up from the couch.

"This digital gadget will both record and trace phone numbers. I've put this on my line at my house. Usually, kidnappers call within 24 hours to ask for ransom", Chris says.

"What do we do now?" Isabella asks.

"I've got my friends out looking for leads. For now, we wait", Chris says. He goes back to his Mercedes SUV and brings in two metal suitcases. Chris begins to take things out of the cases.

He takes out fibre wire.

"What's that?" Isabella asks him.

"It's fibre wire. Great for killing people silently – it pulls the person backwards instead of forwards", Chris says as he takes out an Oyabun Knife which when used kills a person faster than the fibre wire. Next he pulls out a Beretta 92/92SD which is a pistol that is very accurate and can be used with a silencer. Finally, he pulls out a Uzi (submachine gun) and a Mossberg Persuader Shotgun. While he and Isabella wait, Chris cleans the guns and loads them. The phone rings and Chris answers it.

"Hello", Chris says.

"Mr. Smith, we have your son. We want money", the male kidnapper tells him.

"How do I know that he's still alive?" Chris asks. The kidnapper puts Zak on the phone and Zak says "hi" to Chris.

"We want 10 million dollars for your son", the kidnapper says.

"No. This is what is going to happen – you're either going to return my son or I'm going to hunt you down and kill you", Chris says.

"Ha! Ha! Good luck with that, Mr. Smith", the kidnapper says as he hangs up the phone on Chris.

"Are you insane?" Isabella rants at him.

"You threatened his kidnappers! They're going to kill him or torture him" Isabella says as she begins hitting Chris's chest.

"Calm down! I know exactly what I'm doing. I've handled these situations before!" Chris says. He looks at the digital system that he connected – he has the location of the kidnappers. Finally, Isabella calms down.

"I'm going to get my friends and we're going to get Zak back safe and sound", Chris says. He gets into a black uniform and attaches all the weapons to himself.

"While I'm gone, you can't mention any of this to anyone. I mean anyone. Normally, when someone is kidnapped it is done by someone that knows the family. The kidnapper could be anyone", Chris says as he gets ready to leave her.

Isabella's House – Two Hours Later

While Chris was gone, she had been thinking about one of her last conversations with Zak. Again, he'd been pushing her to give his dad another chance. She didn't know if she had enough courage to trust Chris with her heart again. Since he had broken her heart, she'd thrown it in a casket and thrown away the key. Isabella heard her door opening and Chris rushed in. She couldn't tell what he was thinking – the expression on his face was uninformative and blank.

"Who did you tell?" Chris asked her.

"What? What do you mean?" Isabella asked him.

"Who did you tell that Zak had been kidnapped?" Chris asks her again.

"Johnny was here and I told him", Isabella says.

"Damn you to hell! I told you not to tell anyone! When I got there, all the kidnappers were dead and Zak was gone", Chris yells at her. His friend Damian has joined him.

"Do you still have battery cables in your car?" Chris asks her.

"Of course", Isabella says as Chris roughly grabs her.

"You're coming with us. I don't trust you not to screw anything else up", Chris says as they walk out of the door.

Johnny's House – Two Hours Later

Chris had Isabella knock on Johnny's door. Once she did that, he and Damian grabbed Johnny and took him down to the cellar. After awhile, Isabella got curious and headed down to the cellar. She saw that Johnny was tied to a chair and that the battery cables went from a break box to his fingers. Chris was torturing him to get information!

"Now that I told you everything, are you going to let me go?" Johnny asks him.

"Of course not", Chris says as he flips the switch. Johnny gets shocked again, but it's a continuous shock.

"Yell all you want, but no one will hear you. Enjoy the next couple of hours", Chris coldly tells Johnny as he gets ready to leave.

"You're just going to leave him there?" Isabella asks.

"He orchestrated the kidnapping of Zak. He's going to pay for that with his life", Chris says as he walks away from her. Isabella follows him through the door and upstairs. Chris calls someone and has the jet ready to go to Paris, France.

"What's in Paris?" Isabella asks him.

"Hopefully Zak. Once your friend realized that the kidnappers had contacted you for money, he had them killed. He wanted to dispose of Zak so he could get closer to you. He wanted to be your knight in shining armor. Unfortunately, his buddies betrayed him and then you told him that they had. If anything happens to **my** son, you're going to join your boy toy in that chair!" Chris tells her. He can't believe that she didn't trust him enough to save Zak. In his eyes, she had committed the worst betrayal – she had betrayed him and risked Zak's life. If it hadn't been for her betrayal, he would have Zak safely in his arms now.

"I'm just stunned. I can't believe all of this crap that has happened to us in the last year", Isabella says as they get into Chris's car.

"That just about does it, don't it? After this little escapade, you and I are done. I'll produce your movie, but after that I don't want anything to do with you" Chris says.


	8. Chapter 8 He Stopped Loving Her Today

_Been a little busy, but plan to update my stories more this month..._

Chapter 8 He Stopped Loving Her Today

Private Jet – En-route to Paris from London

Chris, Isabella, and Damian boarded a private jet. The private jet was state-of-the-art and had many hi-tech gadgets on it. They would be in Paris in less than an hour. Damian and Chris were busy planning their next steps. Isabella sat and watched them make plans.

Isabella was surprised that Chris was furious with her. During their marriage, he had never really been furious with her. She had never been frightened of Chris and he had never threatened her with physical violence – until now. However, she had believed him when he said that he'd kill her if Zak died. She realized that she had pushed him too far.

This was counter intuitive to the Chris that she had known. Previously, Chris was a live and let live guy. He respected life. So much so that he didn't eat meat. He didn't even eat eggs! He was really easy going, but he wasn't a push over or a fool – he was a man that oozed power and strength.

One thing hadn't changed since Chris's outburst and that was the incredible, irresistible attraction between them. Isabella hated to admit it, but the attraction that had started when she had first talked to him on the phone all those years ago was still there and it was still strong.

Paris, France

Chris and Damian had finished their plans. Damian was to go and do some research on his own while Chris and Isabella visited an old friend of Chris's. Damian had given Chris another dose of opium before getting off the plane.

"What's the plan?" Isabella asks Chris. Before she gets into the BMW, he searches her and grabs her cell phone.

"Why did you take my phone?" Isabella asks him.

"I don't trust you not to call anyone else and throw another wrench into my plans" Chris says as they leave the airport. Chris is traveling at an unusual rate of speed – usually he doesn't drive with excessive speed. Usually, she's the one that speeds!

"Why are you driving so fast?" Isabella asks him.

"Time is of the essence" Chris says. She can tell that she's irritating him with all of her questions.

"This may be a stupid question, but why?' Isabella asks him.

"Your boy toy sold our son. He's going to be sold at an auction" Chris tells her.

"What kind of auction?" Isabella asks him.

"Why do you think that they would auction a 10 year old boy for?' Chris tells her.

"Oh my!" Isabella says as she puts her hands to her face in total shock.

"Yes, oh my!" Chris tells her.

"This is the plan – we're going to meet an old friend of mine at his house. You're going to keep your mouth shut. Got it?" Chris asks her.

"Yes, I understand", Isabella says as Chris stops the car outside of a Paris house. They ring the door bell.

"Chris, it's so nice to see you! Pierre isn't home yet" a woman about Chris's age tells him. They embrace and Isabella can see Chris's charm take affect on the woman.

"This must be your beautiful wife! Welcome to our home, I'm Jody", the woman tells her. Chris and Isabella walk into the house. The woman serves Chris and Isabella coffee and cakes. Chris takes a trip to the bathroom and comes back. His friend Pierre comes home.

"Chris, it's so nice to see you. It's been many years! How are you doing?" Pierre asks him. He and Chris shake hands. Chris introduces him to Isabella. He can tell that it's killing her to keep quiet. Chris explains Zak's kidnapping to Pierre.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you, my friend", Pierre tells him.

"You can do better than that. I know that you know the person that has kidnapped Zak and where he is at", Chris tells him.

"If I knew, I couldn't tell you. I know you – you'll tear Paris apart. Let's say that the men who have Zak are too dangerous. Forget about him. Your wife is young – you can have another son", Pierre tells them. Chris can tell that Isabella is about to explode at that statement.

"I'm afraid that you don't understand, I need your help and I need it now", Chris pulls out his pistol. Pierre pulls out his gun and aims it and Chris. Pierre pulls the trigger – nothing happens.

"I unloaded your spare gun. Now, let's get down to business", Chris says as he shoots Jody in the arm – it's just a flesh would. However, it's enough motivation for Pierre. He gives Chris the name and location of the criminal group that has Zak. Isabella can't believe that she's just seen her husband shoot an unarmed, innocent woman! Chris gets the information that he needs from Pierre.

"By the way, don't send the police after me or I'll finish the job that I started here and I'll include your grandchildren!" Chris tells him.

"You're insane!" a very angry Pierre tells him.

"No, I'm not. I just want my son back", Chris says as he and Isabella leave the house. He can tell that Isabella's frightened and stunned. They get into their car and head to meet Damian.

"Listen, I didn't mean it when I said that I would kill you. It was just my anger talking. I am sorry", Chris says.

"I don't know – I think that you meant it", Isabella says as she watches the Paris traffic. He can tell that she's scared of him.

"Will those people tell the police? Why did you trust them?" Isabella asks him.

"He used to work for the same agency that I worked for. There's a code – no one spills the beans on a person's family. If one person does it, they know that other people will do it too and that their family's lives will be in jeopardy", Chris tells her. He notices that his wife is still alluring and beautiful. He's been all over the world and seen many beautiful women, but her beauty still gets to him. He remembers that he has to stop thinking of her as his wife. He also remembers that today is the day that he stopped loving her. How opportune that George Jones "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is playing on the car radio.


	9. Chapter 9 Brought Me to My Knees

Chapter 9 Your Goodbye Brought Me to My Knees

48 Hours Later – Paris Hotel Room

Isabella never did find out how Chris and Damian had saved Zak. Zak, Chris, and Damian weren't speaking on the subject. The one thing that she knew for sure was that the father-son bond between Chris and Zak had become even stronger.

Currently, they were sharing a hotel suite – she and Zak were together while Chris and Damian were together. Isabella was laying awake thinking about all the things that had occurred in the last two weeks. It was unbelievable, but then again Chris's supposed affair with Suzy was unbelievable, too. Finally, Isabella fell asleep about midnight.

In the adjacent suite, Chris and Damian were talking.

"Now that we have your boy back, are you going to go after his mother?" Damian asks him. He had just given Chris his nightly dose of opium and Chris was very energized.

"No, she did the ultimate betrayal. She risked Zak's life by telling her lover that he was kidnapped. There's no way that I'm going to trust that woman now. I don't want anything to do with her", Chris says as he paces the hotel suite.

"Well, everything is circular. You betrayed her with Suzy. I'm sure that Isabella thought that was the ultimate betrayal, too" Damian tells his friend.

"However, I didn't want to betray her. I would never willingly cheat on my wife!" Chris says.

"Whether you did it willingly or not, you still betrayed her love and trust. It would take quite a woman to forgive you for that. Also, it would take quite a man to forgive Isabella for telling Johnny about Zak's kidnapping and setting the last few days in motion. I guess she's not woman enough to forgive you and you're not man enough to forgive her" Damian says as he turns off the light in the hotel suite. He can hear Chris still pacing.

Chris has finally gone to bed and is sleeping when he hears something in his closet. Chris gets up and finds Zak in the closet!

"Mate, what are you doing in the closet?" Chris says. Zak is huddled in his closet and is shivering.

"I'm scared, Papa" Chris gets down beside Zak and wraps his arms around him.

"Why are you scared? I took care of all the bad men. No one will kidnap you again" Chris tells him.

"I had a nightmare. I wanted to find a nice, dark spot to hide. Do you ever have nightmares, Papa?" Zak asks him.

"Yes, I do. There are times that I want to find a nice, dark spot to hide, too. But we can't always do that. We need to face our fears" Chris tells him.

"Why did you hurt Mama?" Zak asks him.

"Someone forced me to do something that I didn't want to do. I didn't want to hurt you or your Mama, but I had to do it to save Mama's life", Chris tells him.

"Were you tortured?" Zak asks him.

"Yes", Chris tells him.

"I wasn't" Zak tells him.

"Good. Listen, it's alright if you want to cry" Chris tells him.

"Papa, it's alright if you want to cry, too" Zak tells him. Zak begins to cry and let out all the anger and fear that he felt during his kidnapping. Chris begins to cry, too. They both begin to heal from their recent experiences. Unbeknownst, to Zak and Chris, Isabella has been listening – she goes back to her bed and cries, too. She cries for the pain that Zak's kidnapping has caused him and she cries for the pain that Suzy inflicted on both her and Chris.

Secret Movie Location – Three Months Later

Chris and Isabella had managed to keep Zak's kidnapping out of the newspapers. Currently, Zak was finishing the school year by doing home schooling. Isabella's sister Jean was schooling Zak and taking care of Zak. Isabella hated lying to her sister about Zak's kidnapping and what had happened between her and Chris. However, she knew that she had to lie to protect them. Isabella and Chris had hired the usual crew to do the movie. All of the crew members had signed a confidentiality agreement – their goal was to keep the making of the movie out of the press until they were ready to release it. Chris and Isabella didn't want the media attention to be a distraction to the process of making the movie. Most importantly, they didn't want the media attention around Zak.

While making the movie, Chris and Isabella were cordial to each other. Their crew didn't know how to behave – they had never seen Chris and Isabella not in love with each other and not doing their famous "honey, baby" routine. The crew was on pins and needles around them – no one discussed Isabella and Chris's break-up. They were filming the movie in the Bahamas.

Isabella and Zak were staying in Chris's house and he was staying in a guest house. It was night time and Isabella received a knock on the door. She opened it to find Jim (the man from the agency).

"Mrs. Smith, I wish I could say what a pleasure it is to see you here, but it's not", Jim says as Isabella lets him inside the house.

"What can I do for you?" Isabella asks him.

"I see that you've been enjoying your freedom", Jim says as he lays down the tabloid pictures of her and Johnny. They were pictures of a trip that she had taken with Johnny in December.

"Johnny and I were just friends, nothing else", Isabella tells him.

"I think that you really like your freedom. I know the guys in Buffalo liked it, especially that hockey player. I think that you enjoy the single life and that you enjoy having men chase you around", Jim says as Isabella blushes.

"What do you want from me?" Isabella asks him.

"I think that your fame has gone to your head and that you're not making rational decisions. I want to you leave Chris alone. The man has been tortured enough. He doesn't need to be tortured by you" Jim says.

"Hey, I'm the one who filed for divorce. The judge won't allow us to proceed with the divorce until Chris has medical tests done. He can't do that until he's free of the opium. I don't understand what you want me to do", Isabella says.

"If you ever loved him, you'll give him his freedom. If you need to have sex with other men, please be discreet. There's no need for you to throw it in Chris's face. He needs to build his strength – his very life depends upon it", Jim says as he leaves her.

Jean comes to the living room. She notices that Isabella is very upset.

"Who was that guy?" Jean asks her.

"He is an associate of Chris's" Isabella tells her as she turns away from her sister. In Jean's mind, that says it all. Jean hates Chris since he cheated on Isabella – he had almost destroyed Isabella. Isabella decides to go for a walk on the beach.

Beach – Two Hours Later

Isabella has been walking and wondering on the beach for a couple of hours. She hears some noises, so she goes to check it out. Her German shepherd, Tim, is with her. She looks through the palm trees and sees that Chris is wrestling both Josiah and Damian at the same time. Chris was bare-chested and in shorts. Over the last few months, Chris's body has re-developed – she can see he now was muscles where he used to have fat. She can also feel her senses soaring and the scorching heat coming off of him and igniting her. She knew that she had to get away from the sight of him wrestling or she might get caught in his web again. She didn't want anything to do with the man whose goodbye had brought her to her knees. His goodbye had been like an arrow through her heart – death would have been less painful than the hell that he had put her through. If Isabella had had her choice, she would rather have died than have Chris cheat on her. Isabella turned and ran back to her house.

Hospital in Bahamas- Next Day

Early that morning, Isabella had rushed Zak to the emergency room in a hospital in the Bahamas. Zak had been complaining of acute pains. Over the past few days, he had been sick and throwing up. Isabella thought that he had the common flu, but now she wasn't so sure. She had called Chris and he was on his way to the hospital.

"Mrs. Smith, we've ran tests on Zak. We've reached the conclusion that your son has cancer" the doctor tells her as Chris walks into the room.

"What? You've got to be kidding, this can't be real!" Isabella says. Chris walks over to her side.

"Doctor, what kind of cancer is it? How long does Zak have?" Chris asks.

"If he can have a bone marrow transplant, Zak will survive. If he doesn't have the transplant, he has probably less than two years to live. Unfortunately, we have found the cancer almost too late. It is a very rapid growing cancer", the doctor informs a devastated Chris, Isabella, and Jean.


	10. Chapter 10 Turning Point

Chapter 10 Turning Point

Hospital – Same Day

"We need to take bone marrow samples from Zak's parents, any siblings, aunts, and uncles. If we find a match, we'll be able to save him by performing a bone marrow transplant. In the meantime, we'll start chemotherapy", the doctor informs them.

Chris, Isabella, and Jean agree to have samples of their bone marrow taken to see if it's a match for Zak. Jean calls her other siblings and begins arrangements for them to have their bone marrow sampled. Chris calls his siblings and makes the same arrangement as Jean has done.

Isabella is devastated for the second time in less than twelve months. She can't believe this is happening to her little boy. Isabella goes in to see Zak. She can see that he's in a lot of pain. He wants to see his dad. Normally, a child would want its mother when it's in pain, but Zak has always wanted Chris. Chris comes into the room and comforts Zak. Isabella is jealous of their father-son bond. Their bond seems to get stronger and stronger. Of course, Zak is always affectionate and loving with her, but he and his father have a very strong connection. It reminds her of the strong connection that she and Chris used to have before Chris's affair with Suzy.

Hospital – Next Day

Yesterday, Zak had undergone his first day of chemotherapy and Chris had stayed with Zak. Isabella had stayed for part of the night. Chris was very kind and comforting to her, but he didn't make any moves to suggest that he wanted her back in his life. Over the past month, he had essentially left her alone. That was what she wanted, wasn't it or was it?

The doctor has received the results of the bone marrow tests. He has called both Chris and Isabella into his office for a private discussion.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I am sorry to say, none of the samples were a match for Zak", the doctor tells them.

"We didn't have my father tested. Could he be a match?" Isabella asks him. Her father had abandoned her and her siblings when she was very young. She hadn't spoken to him in years, but she would do anything to save Zak.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Smith, but your father is too distant a relation to be a match for Zak. The best match for Zak would be a full-blooded sibling. Does Zak have any siblings?" the doctor asks them.

"No", Isabella says.

"Is there a chance that he may have a sibling?" the doctor asks them. He knows that they're working on a movie together and that they are separated.

"No!" they both say in unison.

"If Zak were to have a sibling, what would the chances be that he/she would be a match for him?" Isabella asks as an idea begins to form in her head.

"The chances that a sibling would be Zak's match is over 90%. Of course, you and Mr. Smith would have to be the biological parents", the doctor says.

"What are you thinking?" Chris asks her. He has an idea that he's not going to like the path that her mind has taken.

"Zak doesn't have a sibling now, but he could have a sibling. We could have another child to save Zak's life", Isabella says. Chris is stunned that she would think of such a thing.

"You mean that we should create another child to save Zak?" Chris asks her. He's astonished.

"Yes. Why not? That's the only way to save Zak. I'm willing to do it if you are willing to do it" Isabella tells him.

"Well, we wouldn't have to have sex to do it. We could do that in-vitro thing, right doctor?" Chris asks the doctor.

"Yes, we can do that" the doctor tells them.

"No. If we're going to create a child, I don't want to do it like that. What if I get the wrong sperm, then we're back to first base. Also, we'll lose time" Isabella says.

"Mr. Smith, your wife does have a point. Accidents do happen", the doctor tells him. Chris gives both the doctor and Isabella a look of disgust.

"Does she have to carry it to term? Can't you take some of its stem cells or something?" Chris asks the doctor.

"We need the child's bone marrow. Therefore, it would have to be born" the doctor tells them. Things are getting increasing tense and unformtable in the room.

"I'm going to leave you two alone to discuss the situation", the doctor makes a hasty exit.

"I'm surprised that you even suggested such a thing", Chris says to Isabella after the doctor leaves them alone.

"This coming from the man who said that he would do anything to protect me and Zak. Well, here's your chance. Besides, I thought you wanted a reconciliation" Isabella tells him.

"I changed my mind after your betrayal' Chris tells her.

"Well, I wouldn't have betrayed you if you hadn't betrayed me first" Isabella tells him. There is truth in those words and Chris can feel the guilt weighing heavily on him. However, guilt isn't going to help the situation.

"Besides, if we weren't in the process of a divorce, I was going to get around to ask you if you wanted a second child" Isabella tells him. Chris didn't tell her, but in his heart he didn't want another child. If they were still together, he probably would have agreed to have another child in order to make her happy.

"Do you agree with me that we need to have another child?" Isabella asks him.

"Yes. However, before we do that, don't you think that we should make sure that you're not already pregnant?" Chris asks her.

"I'm not, but I agree that we should do that. Also, we should be tested for STD's. God only knows who you have been with", Isabella counters.

"Yes, but we know who you've been intimate with don't we?" Chris asks her as the doctor comes back in.

"Well, what's the decision?" the doctor asks them.

"We're going to try to have another child" Isabella tells him.

"Excellent. You'll have to take a pregnancy test and I'll also have both of you tested for any diseases", the doctor tells them.

"Doctor, is there any way to expedite the process?" Chris asks him.

"Yes, I'll have your wife talk to the nurse. There are only two days a month that a woman is fertile, so she'll be able to determine which days those are for your wife. If you'll excuse me, I'll start the process" the doctor leaves them again.

"I've been thinking – I don't want anyone to know about this other than you, me, and the doctor", Isabella tells him.

"Why?" Chris asks her.

"I don't want the baby to think that we didn't want it or love it for itself. I know that we'll both be good parents to him or her, but I don't want anyone else to know how it was conceived. I think it would really hurt the baby", Isabella tells him.

"You're not even going to tell your family?" Chris asks her.

"No", Isabella says.

"How are we going to explain this miraculous pregnancy? What are we going to tell Zak?" Chris asks her.

"We could pretend that we've reconciled. I don't want to lie to Zak, but if our reconciliation will help him fight and survive until the baby is born, then we need to lie to him" Isabella says.

"You've forgotten one thing – our son is very smart. He'll realize that it's all fake" Zak tells her.

"We can tell him that we're trying to reconcile and we can act like it. I don't want the media to ever learn what we're doing to save Zak's life" Isabella says.

"Alright, it might work. We'll have to do something public so that the media will think that we're reconciling. You can leave that one to me" Chris says as he leaves.

Movie Shooting – Next Day

Zak was at home recovering from his chemotherapy. They had hired a special nurse to take care of him. Chris and Isabella were back shooting the finishing scenes on the movie. Jean was there along with Isabella's assistants. Chris had really been pushing Isabella hard that day and he knew that she was about ready to snap. He was looking forward to her explosion.

"Cut! That scene wasn't good enough! Isabella, where's your head?" Chris tells them. All of the movie guys thought that the last ten scenes were perfect, but Chris was a hard taskmaster. He had made people repeat and repeat scenes until he determined that the scenes were good enough to go into the movie.

"That was excellent work, you fool!" Isabella yells at him. The movie guys have been sensing that something would happen between Chris and Isabella and here it was coming.

"No, it wasn't. I'm the producer here, not you", Chris says as he walks over to her.

"I'm giving you the best I've got, but my best isn't good enough for you, is it?" Isabella yells at him. She begins to turn away from him.

Chris grabs her by her arm and says, "Listen, you little egotistical bitch, I'm not done with you" Isabella slaps Chris and he kisses her.

She tried to resist his kiss and she tried to remain passive, but it didn't last long. Soon, she was kissing him back. The fire that had turned to ashes was now a fully engulfed fire – threatening to consume both of them in its flames. She could feel him respond to her passionate kiss in the same way that he had responded to her thousands of times in the past. She reveled in the knowledge that she could still stir him. No other woman had set him afire like Isabella could.

Their kiss exploded into all the brilliant memories that they had shared during the past. The memories surged between them as they shared a kiss.

The cast and crew were enthralled by watching Chris and Isabella kiss – they could literally see the heat coming off of them.

Suddenly, something dropped and they both jumped apart in utter surprise. Chris knew if the prop man hadn't dropped something; he would have lost control and made love to his wife in front of an audience!

"Enough! We're done for the day" a shaken Chris tells the crew. He walked back to his office.

Isabella runs back to her dressing room with Jean and her assistants in tow.

"What the hell was all of that about?" Jean asks her. Isabella is still shaken from that kiss.

"I don't know" Isabella says as she begins to pace her dressing room.

Isabella's House – Her Bedroom 

The doctor had called her and informed her that the next two days was her time to conceive. She had called Chris and informed him. He told her that he would meet her in her bedroom. Isabella was in front of the mirror brushing her hair when she heard something. She turned around and saw Chris.

"It's you! You scared me! How did you get in here?" Isabella asks him. Isabella's room is on the second floor. She didn't use the master bedroom – the memories were too painful. The last time Chris and she had been here they had made happy memories in the master bedroom.

"I have lots of experience sneaking into houses. Are you ready to begin?" Chris says. She notices that Chris is in the process of taking three pills.

"What are the pills for?" Isabella asks him.

"I needed two of the pills to perform with Suzy, so I took an extra one to help me with you. Let's get this over with", Chris says as they approach the bed. In the past, he had never had to use anything to prompt his performance in the bedchamber. Isabella feels as if he has just insulted her.

Two hours later

"Can I use your shower?" Chris asks her as he gets up from the bed.

"Sure" Isabella says as she turns over in the bed.

Chris and Isabella had had sex. In Isabella's mind that's what it was – sex. They didn't make love. Chris didn't kiss her, nor did he let her touch him. Of course, he had made it pleasurable for her, but it was nothing like it had been in the past. Isabella felt empty, used, and sick. She hoped that she hadn't conceived a child tonight. She couldn't help but remember how Zak had been conceived – with lots of love. She vowed that tomorrow night's baby making activities would be different. She fell asleep crying.


End file.
